Winston Ohlhausen was feeling a little blue Wednesday, which might seem odd for the chairman of the Taylor County Republican Party following Tuesday’s victories, especially locally and in very red Texas.

But Ohlhausen thought the Republicans should have won by bigger margins, and that saddened him.

“In a sense,” he said, “last night was a big loss for conservative Republicans.”

“I was hoping to wake up feeling really good today,” Ohlhausen said, “but I don’t.”

On the other hand, Kristina Campos Davis, chairperson of the Taylor County Democratic Party, was feeling upbeat Wednesday, despite O’Rourke’s failure to unseat Cruz.

“It was exciting to see a deeply red state like Texas have a strong liberal candidate,” Davis said in an email. “It is a sign that there is a large contingent of liberals across the state. We just need more of them.”

The election had both positives and negatives for Democrats, Davis said. Democrats won control of the U.S. House of Representatives, providing a check on President Trump, something important to Democrats.

“Also, nationwide more than 115 women candidates were elected, which is very important and will lead to positive changes across the nation,” Davis wrote.

All the hype around O’Rourke or “Beto” as supporters refer to him, was a sign of how desperate Democrats are to see “real change” in Texas, Davis wrote.

“My hope is that we will see more top-notch candidates, like Beto, in the coming years and eventually have more change in Texas,” she wrote.

U.S, Texas adrift

Ohlhausen also noted the narrow loss of O’Rourke to Cruz, but, unlike Davis, it troubles him. He is concerned about what he calls the drift of the United States, even Texas, toward turning blue, or Democratic.

He believes “people who are working to destroy our way of government are gaining strength.” He saw that in the Cruz/O’Rourke race, in other statewide races, and nationally.

For example, the record number of Democratic women elected to Congress is troubling. It’s not personal, he added, noting that many strong Republican women are officeholders.

“It’s not a woman issue,” he said, “it’s whether you believe in America as it was established, founded, as it was meant to be.”

In one way, Ohlhausen believes the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will be a plus for President Trump. He predicted Democrats will overplay their hand and go too far in opposing Trump.

“In that way, this will make it easier for Trump,” he said.

More blue makes it purple

Tuesday night, Republican faithful gathered at Prime Time Family Entertainment Center to watch election returns, while Democrats watched on TV monitors at The Mill.

Among the most enthusiastic of the Democrats was a young lady who isn’t old enough to vote — Rheannon Mathis, a 17-year-old Abilene High School junior.

Still, Mathis is extremely active politically. She was one of three AHS students who formed a March for Our Lives rally in Abilene in March, protesting the prevalence of school shootings in America. Like most of the other 100 or so Democrats who gathered at the The Mill, Mathis wore a Beto T-shirt.

She was impressed with O’Rourke during one of his campaign stops in Abilene. Mathis and a friend were in a long line of people greeting O’Rourke. Her friend, who was 16 at the time, had a question, which O’Rourke took time to answer.

Mathis said her enthusiasm for politics started after she saw the discrimination suffered by some friends in the LGBTQ community. Her mother, who was sitting nearby, said she and her husband haven’t been as enthusiastic as their daughter about politics but have become more engaged as their awareness of the treatment of marginalized people grew.

Mathis said when she is old enough to vote — next October — she will vote for people who care about the same issues she does, rather than voting against President Trump or his supporters.

She believes Texas will turn “purple,” a transition from “red” to “blue” as younger and more diverse people move into the state. When it became obvious that O’Rourke was going to lose his election upset bid to Cruz, Mathis was philosophical.

“I’m holding onto hope right now,” she said. “I think definitely the next one--it could happen.”

Keeping it red

Perhaps fittingly, a large mat with the “Don’t Mess With Texas” slogan on it lay in front of the door to the room where Republicans met at Prime Time.

Inside, the two TV monitors were set to Fox News. The approximately 50 people watched, cheering or booing as results came in.

Some looked at other news sources on their phones. Watching with them was Ohlhausen, who said he was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. Ohlhausen calls himself a conservative Republican and is concerned with Republican candidates he says aren’t conservative enough.

Locally, he is pleased with the job that Republican U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington is doing. Arrington was re-elected Tuesday. But Ohlhausen doesn’t like the way Republican state Rep. Stan Lambert, who also was re-elected Tuesday, votes on many issues.

Son not quite like father

Two Republicans at the gathering who were having an especially good time were Samuel Britten and his son, Austin.

The elder Britten was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first vote he cast. He was a freshman at Abilene Christian University at the time. He is “red” through and through, sporting a red and white GOP cap and GOP tie with elephants on it. He said the local elections office confirmed that he had never missed a vote in 40 years.

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Austin (right) and Samuel Britten(Photo: Loretta Fulton/Special to the Reporter-News)

“It doesn’t matter if it’s for county dog catcher,” he said, “if there’s a ballot, I’m going to vote.”

Austin, a senior at Abilene Christian High School, cast the first vote of his life in this year’s midterms. He turned 18 on Sept. 20. The younger Britten said he isn’t as political as his father, who never has voted for a Democrat and who voted a straight Republican ticket Tuesday.

Austin Britten believes the political process is important, but so far he isn’t as ardent as his father.

“That’s not rubbed off on me,” he said.

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Raina Holamon, 13, checks election results and social media while attending the Democrats election watch party Tuesday at The Mill with her mother Leah and sister Salem.(Photo: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News)